Nonreversible meter train



1935- I G. FEAVYEAR El N. 2,019,125

NONRE'VERS IBLB METER TRAIN Filed Dec. 28, 1933 J E a a g 7 J 7 7 2 A A :I II a 0 o= U I II V" 'IIIII'II;

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Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE NONREVERSIBLE METER TRAIN Canada Application December 28, 1933, Serial No. 704,228

2 Claims.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a mechanism for use in metering devices which will prevent fraud through the reversal of the registering mechanism, and to devise a very I simple, inexpensive and accurate operating mechanism which will cause the registering device to operate with an advance movement only.

The principal feature of the invention consists in interposing in the drive train between a 0 meter and registering mechanism an arrangement of gearing and clutch devices whereby the shaft operating the registering mechanism is rotated in one direction only irrespective of the direction of movement of the meter-operated 3 mechanism.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the face of a registering device for meters.

Figure 2 is a plan view showing our improve- 0 ment.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional elevation taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the rear side of the registering mechanism.

:6 Figure 5 is an enlarged elevational view of one of the clutch gears showing the clutch in section as on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged mid-sectional view taken centrally of the axis of the pair of clutch l0 wheels mounted on the shaft of the register gear train.

In the operation of metering devices of various kinds it is customary to attach to the driving shaft of the meter, a registering mechal8 nism which operates through a suitable gear train.

In the structure herein shown, the numerical counting discs I, 2, 3 and 4 are operated by a pinion 5 mounted on a shaft 6 which is Jourl0 nalled in the end plates 1 and 8, one end thereof extending through the plate 8 and having its extremity journalled in the plate 9. The plate 9 is rigidly supported by studs I0 secured in the plate 8, from which it is spaced.

to A shaft ll mounted between the plates 1 and 8, has arranged intermediate of its length, the gear wheel l2 which is operatively connected with a suitable metering mechanism, which is not here shown. 0n the shaft II at one end 50 thereof is mounted a pinion l3, which meshes with a spur gear l4 mounted on a shaft l5 extending between the end plates 1 and 8.

A pinion I6 is mounted on the end of the shaft l5 extending beyond the plate 1, and this meshes 88 with a spur gear ll mounted on a shaft l8 extending between the plates 1 and 8 and which projects through the plate 8 and has its extremity journalled in the plate 9.

A spur pinion I9 is mounted on the shaft l8 between the plates 8 and 9. A stud shaft 2|) jourj nalled between the plates 8 and 9 adjacent to the shaft l8 has mounted thereon a spur pinion 2| which is arranged in offset relation to the spur pinion I9 and meshes with the aforesaid pinion at one end. 3

Mounted upon the shaft 6 between the plates 8 and 9, are a pair of spur gears 22 and 23, the gear 22 meshing with the pinion l9. and the gear 23 meshing with the pinion 2|. These gears are supported upon cylindrical hubs 24 and 25 rell spectively, which in turn are rotatably mounted upon the internal clutch members 26 and 21 respectively. These clutch members are each provided with longitudinally arranged recesses 28 in which are mounted the clutch rollers 29 which I0 engage the inner peripheries of the hub. 'This form of clutch is very well known and it is not considered necessary to either describe or show in detail the accurate configuration of the clutch roller-engaging surfaces. It will of course be 26 understood that when the gear mounted upon one of these clutch hubs is turned in one direction, the clutch rollers abut the shoulders and permit the hub to rotate freely without turning the shaft on which the central or recessed clutch 80 member is mounted, but when the gear is turned in the opposite direction the clutch rollers bind between the inner surface of the hub and the engaging clutch surfaces, and the shaft on which the inner member is mounted is rotated there- II with.

It will be readily understood that when the shaft I8 is rotated through its train of gears and the pinion I9 rotates the gear 22 forwardly, the clutch in said gear is arranged to tum the shaft 6 so that it operates the counting discs in a. forward direction.

The clutch of the gear 23 corresponds with the clutch of the gear 22 and if the gear 23 is turned in the reverse direction to the gear 22 said gear a 23 turns freely, but if the direction of rotation of these gears is reversed, and the gear 22 is turned backward, it will turn freely on the shaft 6, while the gear 23 will, through its clutch drive the shaft forwardly.

When the pinion l9 operates to rotate the gear 22 it also rotates the pinion 2| on the stud shaft 20 and as the gear 23 meshes with the pinion 2|, the gear 23 turns in a direction reverse to that of u the gear 22, but its backward rotation has no effect upon the shaft 6 as its clutch runs free.

The pinion I9 and gear 22 normally operate continuously to drive the recording mechanism.

In the event of the metering device, to which the registering mechanism is attached, being reversed, the pinion i9 turns the gear 22 in a reverse direction and its clutch turns free on the shaft. The reversal of rotation of the pinion l9 meshing with the pinion 2| reverses the direction of movement of the pinion 2| and of the gear 23 from the normal movement, and when this occurs the clutch of the gear 23 engages the shaft 6 and turns it in a forward direction.

It will be readily understood from this description that when the mechanism is normally operated the gear 22 drives the registering mechanism forwardly and the driving shaft of the registering mechanism turns freely in the clutch of the gear 23, but when the rotation of these gears is reversed the clutch of the gear 22 cannot rotate the shaft backward and the movement of the gear 23 being reversed, is then operating in a forward direction, and it operates its clutch to grip and turn the shaft forward.

The mechanism of the registering device must I therefore always move in a forward direction no matter which way the driving shaft operated by the meter is turned, and anyone tampering with the meter to cause it to move in a reverse direction, not only fails to turn the registering device backwardly, but actually turns the same forwardly to add to the total forward movement of the meter.

It will be appreciated that this device is of an extremely simple nature. The type of clutch used is very positive and by the simple arrangement of the interconnection of gears described with the double clutch arrangement, the ordinary type of meter may be made thoroughly theftproof..

The device is so extremely simple that it may be applied to the ordinary form of registering device with very little alteration and at extremely low cost.

It is also important to note that the small clutching rollers 29 support the gears 22 and 23 concentrically of the shaft 6 and clear of frictional contact therewith which is an important factor in connection with electric meters where only a very small torque isavailable as the motive force and where the addition of extra friction; would seriously affect the accuracy of registration.

What we claim as our invention is:-

1. In a registering device for electric meters driving and driven shafts, a pair of uniformly sized gears mounted on the driven shaft each of said 1 gears having a cylindrical hub, roller clutch means mounted directly on the driven shaft and co-operating respectively with said hubs, said clutches being similarly arranged so that operation of either one of said pair of gears in a for- 2 ward direction will advance the driven shaft, and gear means meshing with the aforesaid gears and driving said gears simultaneously in opposite directions, including a pair of intermeshing pinions of ,uniform size, one of said pinions being mounted 2 on the driving shaft and directly meshing with one of said pair of gears and the other comprising an idler pinion meshing with the other of said pair of gears.

2. In a registering device for electric meters, 3 driving and driven shafts, a pinion driven by said driving shaft, a pinion meshing with the aforesaid pinion, a gear wheel mounted on the driven shaft meshing with the first-mentioned pinion and having a clutch arranged to rotate the driven 3 shaft in a forward direction only, and a gear wheel meshing with the second-mentioned pinion and mounted on the driven shaft and having a clutch arranged to rotate the driven shaft in a forward direction only.

GLENN FEAVYEAR. JOHN MUIR. 

